


Ice Swans and Dry-cleaning

by Persiflager



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 20:32:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11409684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflager/pseuds/Persiflager
Summary: “So,” says the twat. “Aaron Livesy, married. Never thought I’d see the day.”





	Ice Swans and Dry-cleaning

Robert’s morning meeting overruns and he’s starving when he finally gets to the Woolpack, which means Aaron will be starving too, which means he’ll be in trouble, especially as he didn’t text to warn Aaron he was running late.

Mentally armouring himself for a scrap, Robert strides into the pub with an explanation ready on his tongue and spots Aaron sitting at the bar. Aaron isn’t scowling into a pint like Robert expected. Instead, he’s talking to a stranger and smiling. That's not right - Robert's met feral dogs that are friendlier to strangers than Aaron, which, if he's being honest, he's always considered one of Aaron's more charming characteristics. Come to think of it, he'd have sworn that Aaron would rather deal with a feral dog than make small talk with a stranger, so who is this twat and why is Aaron smiling at him?

“Hey,” says Robert, resting his hand on Aaron’s shoulder in a casual way that coincidentally shows off his wedding ring. “Sorry I’m late, meeting was a nightmare.”

“S’alright,” says Aaron. “You’re buying me lunch. This is Alex. He’s a mate.”

Robert takes the opportunity to look the twat over. He’s leaning against the bar a little too close to Aaron for Robert’s liking but within socially acceptable bounds. Mid-to-late twenties, good-looking in an obvious sort of way, nice suit, Aaron’s type to a tee.

Robert hates him on sight.

“Nice to meet you,” he says, holding out his hand. “I’m Aaron’s husband.”

“So he said,” says Twatface McGee with a quick glance at Aaron. “Congrats.” He holds Robert’s gaze for a moment as they shake hands and his eyes say, clear as day, _congrats on locking that down, I would very much like to bang your husband like a drum_. “I'm staying in Hotten for a couple of days for work and thought I'd take the opportunity to look Aaron up." He’s all smooth charm and floppy hair and posh accent, like a young Hugh Grant if Hugh Grant had failed as an actor and ended up worked for a advertising agency instead. "Do you guys fancy coming out for a drink tonight?"

"Yeah, definitely," says Aaron with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Robert's always suspected him of having a thing for Hugh Grant.

"We can't," says Robert. "You said we'd watch Caleb so that Cain and Moira could go out, remember? It's their anniversary."

"Tomorrow then," says the twat, looking between the two of them with a hint of amusement.

"Tomorrow works, right?" says Aaron, looking at Robert for confirmation. For Christmas Robert's going to buy him a diary and make him use it.

"Great," says Robert, smiling with his teeth. "Looking forward to it."

..

Robert and Aaron have differing views on friendship, which is fine. Aaron would do anything for his mates, up to and including prison time, and extends this to a worryingly large group of people that includes every Dingle in the village and most of the people he's slept with. Robert's definition of a mate is someone who is currently more useful than they are irritating.

..

They’re both in the portacabin that afternoon doing VAT returns - well, Robert’s doing a VAT return, Aaron’s laughing at his phone, which doesn't make any sense because the only funny person he knows is Robert and Robert's right there.

“Fancy a cuppa?” says Robert when he’s had enough of the sound of Aaron texting. Apart from the drizzling rain it’s the only sound to be heard, what with Jimmy being off on a trip and Adam out on a scrap run. It’s peaceful, quiet in a way home rarely is with Liv around.

(Liv’s gone off to spent half-term with Sandra, because apparently there are fewer distractions in Dublin and she’ll be able to revise better over there. Robert suspects she’s either met a boy (or girl) or she’s running some horrifying criminal enterprise.He’s started a ‘wedding or legal fees’ savings account, just in case.)

“Hm? Yeah, ta,” says Aaron, finally putting his phone down. He leans back in his chair and stretches, which is always a nice sight - he’s fit, is Robert’s husband. When he stretches like that his jumper goes tight across his chests and his biceps, showing off his muscles.

Robert had never gone for the muscled type before Aaron; the few blokes he’d been with had tended more towards the metrosexual end of the spectrum. But then Aaron had thrown him up against a wall as if he weighed nothing at all and Robert had been so turned on he’d had to go and have a wank thinking about it, and the appeal hasn’t worn off since.

He makes the tea. “Adam got lost again, then?” he says, setting one mug down in front of Aaron and perching himself on the edge of the desk. “I keep telling you, you should just get him chipped.”

“Hm?” Aaron catches Robert’s glance at his phone. “Oh, no, that was Alex.”

“Oh,” says Robert.

"He's alright, you know," says Aaron defensively.

Aaron's a terrible judge of character but Robert lets that pass without comment. “Go on then, where do you know him from? And please don’t say prison, one old cellmate was bad enough.”

“Ethan was alright,” says Aaron, with less conviction this time. “And no, not prison. I’ve known Alex ages. He was a mate of Ed’s.”

Ah, Ed the ex. All Robert knows about him is that he’s gay, he’s a rugby-player and that Aaron won’t say a bad word about him. Chas has made a few passing comments about Ed being a better person than Robert but frankly she’s an even worse judge of character than Aaron so Robert doesn’t pay much attention.

“He was the only one of our mates who didn’t take sides - well, Ed’s side.”

“Nice of him.”

“Yeah. Even let me stay with him for a bit after, til I got myself sorted.”

Robert mentally moves Alex from ‘harmless twat’ to ‘twat who almost certainly had filthy rebound sex with my husband’. The old ‘shoulder to cry on’ routine is sleazy but effective, if you haven’t got any better moves; Robert’s never had to resort to it but he can’t say that he wouldn’t have done for Aaron. If Aaron had tried to move on at any point Robert would have been watching like a hawk, waiting for the first sign of trouble so that he could swoop in and-

“Sorry, am I boring you?”

Robert schools his face into an appropriate expression and looks at Aaron. “Just wondering if he’s got any good stories to tell. You never did tell me what you got up to in France before coming back here.”

“Ha, you don’t want to know,” says Aaron, but there’s a cocky grin tugging at the corner of his mouth and a hint of swagger in his eyes. Robert knows that look - Robert fell for that look a long time ago.

“Maybe I do.” Robert spreads his legs wider, presses his calf against Aaron’s. “Maybe I’m hoping you’ll tell me dirty stories about your promiscuous past.”

“Yeah right.”

“I’m serious,” says Robert, and he suddenly finds that he is.

“I’m not talking dirty to you at work,” says Aaron, but his quick glance at the portacabin door is a dead giveaway and five minutes later Robert’s on his knees and Aaron’s not thinking of anyone but him.

..

One of the nice things about living somewhere like Emmerdale is that Robert’s never had much competition when it comes to Aaron, which Robert is well aware was one of the contributing factors to their affair lasting as long as it did; technically he supposes Finn might count, but the day on which Robert considers Finn Barton competition is the day on which he might as well put on a pair of overalls and go back to shovelling shit for a living.

..

As babies go, Caleb’s alright, but he has an unfortunate tendency to burst into tears every time Robert picks him up so he leaves the hands-on aspects of baby-sitting to Aaron. Aaron’s weirdly good with babies and animals, probably because they don’t require him to make small talk.

“Don’t give me that look,” says Aaron when Robert comes back into the living room after doing the washing up. He’s got Caleb nestled in the crook of one arm, his feet up on the coffee table, a car magazine spread on his thighs, and looks utterly content.

“What look?” says Robert, flopping down beside him on the sofa.

“The look that says you’re scared I’m about to go all broody and steal him.”

“Why, are you going to?”

“Nope.” Aaron reaches down and adjusts Caleb, shushing him gently. “Liv’s enough of a handful.”

There’s a conversation lurking around the edges there, has been ever since the Rebecca debacle. It’s obvious that Aaron wants kids of their own and equally obvious that he’s not going to be the one to bring it up, not after the way Robert reacted to the prospect last time. Robert’s actually come round to the idea but is selfish enough to want Aaron to himself for a little while longer.

The vibrations from Aaron’s phone travel through the sofa cushions. “Want me to take him?”

Aaron snorts. “Yeah, right.” He transfers Caleb from one arm to the other, pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it. “Alex wants to go to Bar West tomorrow.”

“Lovely.”

“Look, I know you don’t like it there-”

“I didn’t say that.”

“- but he’s just split up with his boyfriend and wants to go out.”

Even better. Not just an evening in a gay bar with Aaron’s ex-shag, but an evening in a gay bar with Aaron’s ex-shag on the pull.

Bar West and the types of establishment it represents have continued to be something of a tricky subject between the two of them. Robert’s aware that for Aaron they represent something hugely important in terms of coming to terms with his sexuality and that Aaron thinks Robert’s discomfort signifies some lingering issues on that front, which is (mostly) not the case. The truth is that Robert can’t see what’s fun about spending an evening in a bar full of men who want to sleep with Aaron and in some cases already have.

“You don’t have to come.”

“No, I’ll come,” says Robert, flicking on the telly. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on you.”

They’re both quiet for a moment as Kevin McCloud explains why the expensive Swedish floor tiles have got to be replaced.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” says Aaron, and out of the corner of his eye Robert can see that his jaw’s gone tense in a way that sends alarm bells clanging.

Married life has changed Robert in a lot of ways, one of the biggest being that he can now spot a row coming. Any comment by Robert that sounds like he doesn’t trust Aaron will very quickly lead to Aaron pointing out that he’s never cheated on anyone, and it won’t matter at that point if he says ‘unlike you’ because they’ll both be thinking it. Everything will then go downhill very quickly, probably helped by Robert saying something he’ll immediately regret and refuse to take back, and the upshot of it all will be Aaron maintaining both the literal and moral high ground by going to bed upstairs and leaving Robert to sleep on the sofa.

The thing is, if he’s being really, brutally honest with himself, Robert doesn’t entirely mind Aaron’s occasional jealousy. He could do without the shouting, and the unhappy look on Aaron’s face, but there are one or two upsides: firstly, that Aaron tends to deal with his feelings by fucking Robert through the mattress at every available opportunity without his usual paranoia about people hearing, and secondly (and this is the reason that he won’t be admitting to), that Robert has always liked having the upper hand in his relationships (he’s a reformed character - that doesn’t mean he’s not still him). It’s not that Robert has doubts about Aaron’s feelings for him; it’s just that it’s nice not to be the only one doing stupid things out of love for a change.

What Robert tends to forget is that Aaron is a better person than Robert and therefore doesn’t find jealousy flattering at all, and if Robert wants to sleep in his own bed tonight he needs to head this off sharp-ish.

“You’ve got that pick-up in the morning,” he says, casually, not looking away from the TV. “You’re not going to want to be banging copper piping around with a hangover.”

“True,” says Aaron, relaxing.

“I know how you get carried away with those fruity cocktails.”

“Fuck off,” says Aaron, but he’s smiling. Robert’s marriage is intact, he’ll sleep in his own bed tonight, and the posh couple on the telly are definitely going to regret not hiring a project manager. Life’s alright.

..

Robert’s feeling decidedly less cheerful by the time they make it to Bar West the next evening. It’s been a shit day; Jimmy’s been busy running errands for Nicola’s fortieth birthday party tomorrow, which means Robert has had to do more than his fair share of work, and Aaron had been gone before he’d woken up. They’d only had time for a quick tea in the pub before heading out, most of which was spent listening to Chas complaining about some complicated family dispute (probably Charity’s fault, it usually is). Aaron’s looking gorgeous and Robert wants nothing more than to be touching him right now, but instead he’s stuck in this shitty bar nodding politely while Aaron and this twat laugh and reminisce about gay clubs in France where Aaron probably pulled French gits.

Strictly speaking, the bar isn’t actually that bad. It’s more his sort of place than Aaron’s, in fact, with the cheesy pop music and cheap cocktails (of which Robert has had two already and is working on his third). If it wasn’t for the low-level prickle of discomfort that Robert never quite manages to shake off, he’d probably like it.

“So,” says the twat. “Aaron Livesy, married. Never thought I’d see the day.”

Aaron tenses but doesn’t say anything at the sound of his dad’s name so Robert doesn’t either. He does squeeze Aaron’s knee under the table, though, and can feel Aaron relax.

“You didn’t think he was the settling down type?” asks Robert, curious in spite of himself.

The twat snorts in a manner not un-reminiscent of Gloria the pig. “You must be joking. Left a trail of broken hearts a mile long, this one did.”

“He’s exaggerating,” says Aaron.

“And that was just in France,” continued the twat, undeterred. “You didn’t do so badly last time you came down to visit me in London, either.”

“That was years ago,” says Aaron, darting a quick, guilty look at Robert.

Robert can guess exactly when - that would be the little jaunt Aaron had taken shortly after blowing Robert’s marriage to high heaven. Robert’s always suspected that Aaron had taken advantage of the opportunities London provided to blow off some steam. He could have done without having it confirmed, though

The twat leans towards Robert conspiratorially, and Robert finds himself grinding his teeth. “There was this bloke in Marseilles-”

“Oi,” says Aaron sharply, and he nods his head towards the bar. “Someone’s checking you out.”

The twat whips his head round at lightning speed. The man at the bar - slim, dark, artfully stubbled - raises a glass in his direction.

The twat gives a low whistle. “Nice. Mind if I abandon you?”

Aaron shrugs, and the twat disappears.

“Sorry about that,” says Aaron.

Robert shrugs and finishes his drink. “It’s fine.” 

“Fancy another?”

Robert nods and Aaron sets off to the bar. Robert watches him go, watches a couple of guys check him out, and decides that the proper husbandly thing to do is to go and keep Aaron company at the bar. He might be waiting awhile, and it would be a shame if he got lonely.

There aren’t actually too many people waiting to be served but the one barman on seems to be taking forever. Robert props himself beside Aaron, leans back against the bar on his elbows and looks over the room.

“It’s not bad, this place,” says Robert by way of peace-offering.

Aaron nods. “Told you.”

“So, a trail of broken hearts.”

“Shut it.”

“No, I want to hear about all the men you’ve left crying into their beer.”

“Alex is full of shit,” says Aaron, looking embarrassed. “I didn’t break any hearts.”

Robert hums non-committally, because based on his observations and also his own, very personal, experience, Aaron’s awareness of other people’s feelings for him varies from low to non-existent. But that’s an argument for another night.

“Shame,” says Robert, stretching a little so that his chest is pushed out and letting one hand drop to brush against Aaron’s thigh. “I’d have liked to see what you were like back in the day.”

Aaron glances sideways at him and laughs before looking away. “Yeah right.”

“I’m serious. Aaron Dingle in action, that’s got to be quite a sight. Or are you telling me that all those nights before we got together you were home doing crosswords with your mum?”

Aaron laughs again and shakes his head before turning to look at Robert with a considering expression. Robert holds still; he never knows what Aaron’s looking for at times like this, so he can’t try to fake it.

The considering expression disappears from Aaron’s face replaced by one that Robert doesn’t recognise - Aaron’s eyes have gone watchful, his chin thrust out, and there’s the faintest trace of a smile. If Robert didn’t know better, he’d say Aaron was about to start a fight.

He doesn’t have long to think about it because Aaron checks him out and Robert loses all capacity for rational thought. It’s blatant in a way Robert frequently is and Aaron never - eyes dragging all the way down Robert’s body and back up again as if he was measuring him up for a suit. Robert’s suddenly hyper-aware of just how on display he is, leaning back like that. He’s also hard.

Aaron leans towards him. “Buy you a pint, if you like,” he says, his voice softer than Robert had imagined it would be.

“Alright,” says Robert, and he turns so that he’s leaning on the bar next to Aaron, their arms pressed together. He’s eighty, ninety per cent sure Aaron didn’t notice anything - Robert’s jeans are thick and it’s dark in here. Not that he minds Aaron knowing he’s turned on, but getting stiff from just being looked at is frankly ridiculous.

Aaron’s looking forward, watching the barman, seemingly oblivious.

“Might take a while,” says Robert.

Aaron tilts his head in agreement, then leans in closer. “Or we could just go back to mine,” he says, right by Robert’s ear. His breath is hot against Robert’s cheek. “I’ve got an empty house tonight.”

“Bit quick, aren’t you?” says Robert. “Maybe I don’t even fancy you.”

Looking amused, Aaron glances downwards.

“I’m married.”

“Not my problem.”

“You’re married,” says Robert, nodding at the ring on Aaron’s finger.

“Yeah, but he’s a prat,” says Aaron, grinning. “So?”

“Go on then,” says Robert. “Suppose I’m not going to get a better offer tonight.”

“You’d better not,” says Aaron and he stands up straight. “Call a taxi and meet us out front, yeah? I’ve got to say goodbye to my mate.” He taps Robert on the shoulder and heads off across the room.

“What’ll it be?” asks the barman, startling Robert out of his daze.

“Nothing, thanks,” says Robert. “I think I’ve just pulled.”

“Good for you,” says the barman.

..

Of fucking course it’s Finn who picks them up.

“Thought Pete was working tonight,” says Robert, not even trying to conceal his irritation. He can tolerate Pete. He can even put up with Ross in a pinch, because at least Ross has the sense to drive in silence and not make endless fucking conversation.

“Change of plan,” says Finn cheerfully. “Some sort of cow crisis up at the farm. Not really my area of expertise. So, good night out was it? Can’t stand the pace now you’re old and married?”

“Do one,” says Aaron.

“Ah, you know I’m just jealous. It’s a good thing I ran into you actually, Aaron, I wanted to ask your advice on something - Robert, feel free to weigh in-”

Robert glowers at the seat-back in front of him and pulls out his phone.

_I want to suck you off_ , he types before pressing send. He hears a faint ping a moment later. Aaron takes his phone out, raises an eyebrow, types a response and sticks his phone back in his back pocket.

“- but I cross-referenced his Grindr profile with his instagram account and his ex is still in most of the photos. Is that weird? Am I being weird? You know, because with Kasim-”

_behave_

_I’m good at it._

_behaving? don’t think so._

_Sucking you off._

“-so what do you think?” says Finn before Aaron can tap out a reply.

“Um,” says Aaron, clearly stalling for time. “I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask.”

Robert hides a grin in the darkness. Aaron’s so shit at multi-tasking.

“Yeah, but who else is there? My mum? _Ross?_ Last time I asked Tracy for help she hired a prostitute.”

There’s a shared moment of silence in the backseat as both Robert and Aaron simultaneously replay that last sentence before deciding that they don’t want to know.

“Is he fit?” says Aaron.

“God yes,” says Finn. “Like a post-serum Steve - OK, you won’t get that reference, but-”

“Then ask him out for a drink,” says Aaron. “If you get on, ask him about his ex. Don’t say you’ve been stalking him online.”

“That’s - surprisingly good advice. Thanks.”

Finn finally lapses into silence. They’re just pulling into the high street and Robert’s just thinking about what he’s going to do to Aaron when they get home when his phone buzzes.

_i’m better._

Oh, it is _on_.

 

..

Robert pays, shoving notes at Finn and not waiting for change, and he scrambles out of the taxi to find Aaron standing by the front door with his keys in his hand.

It’s stopped raining now. The air is cool and fresh, and Robert can smell the hyacinths blooming in the pots either side of the door. They’ve done well; he must remember to thank Diane at some point. 

“So, this is my place,” says Aaron, unlocking the door, and he gives Robert a look over his shoulder before opening it.

“Nice place,” says Robert, following Aaron inside and taking his shoes off out of habit. His voice is loud, he can hear it, it’s the voice he uses when he first meets someone and wants to make an impression. The last time Robert felt this nervous he was at the registry office waiting for Aaron to show up and finally make their marriage legal (fucking Adam, really, he had one job).

Aaron shrugs off his coat and chucks it over the back of a chair. “It’s alright.”

“It’s more than _alright_ ,” says Robert, but Aaron glares at him and he remembers that he’s supposed to be in character. “I mean, you’re a bit of alright.” He drifts closer, ignoring Aaron’s rolled eyes. “Didn’t catch your name.”

“Aaron.”

“Robert,” says Robert, and then Aaron’s kissing him. Aaron backs him up against the wall, hands fisted in Robert’s jacket front, and it feels wild and new all over again. Robert lets himself be kissed, lets Aaron strip off his jacket and shirt and shove his hands down the back of Robert’s jeans, squeezing his arse with a familiarity that leaves Robert breathless. He feels reckless, undone, his heartbeat thundering in his ears and-

“Wait,” says Robert when Aaron goes for his belt. “I wanted to suck you off.”

Aaron lets go and steps back. “Knock yourself out.”

Robert takes a moment to catch his breath. Wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Aaron watches him, which is fine - Robert likes being watched as much as Aaron likes to look. When he’s as composed as he’s going to get, Robert catches Aaron by his belt, pulls him in for a kiss, grinds up against him then swings them round so that Aaron’s the one up against the wall and drops to his knees.

Aaron’s so hard. Robert can see it through his jeans, a thick shape outlined in denim, and it barely gives when he squeezes it. He makes short work of Aaron’s button fly then pulls the whole lot down, pants and all.

Is it boasting to say that Aaron’s got the nicest cock Robert’s ever seen? He’s seen a few (more than he’ll admit to, fewer than Aaron thinks) and Aaron’s is hands-down the best - thick and straight with a beautiful flared head, and it’s-

“If you’re just going to admire the scenery-”

“You’ve got a really nice cock,” says Robert, stroking it.

“Get a move on or I will,” says Aaron, angling his hips up, and Robert gets his mouth on him.

Robert loves sucking cock. Loves how it makes his mouth water, loves the way Aaron’s thighs tense and tremble under his hands, loves the soft grunts and bitten-off words that tumble out of Aaron’s panting mouth. It’s partly a power thing - Aaron’s a bossy fuck as a rule, but he goes all pliant under Robert’s tongue. Mostly though it’s the way Aaron looks down on him, his eyes wide and amazed, one hand clenched in Robert’s hair. It’s a good look on him.

Aaron swears when he comes.

Robert sits back on his heels and rubs his jaw. “Alright?” 

“I wanted to fuck you,” says Aaron, grimacing. 

“Bit forward for a first date, isn’t it? I mean, we’ve only just met and here you are, attempting to ravish me-”

Because Aaron is an immature little shit, he flicks Robert’s ear. “Do you want to get fucked tonight or not?”

“Nice,” says Robert, “very romantic.” Then, in response to Aaron’s glare: “Well yes, obviously.”

Aaron pulls his trousers back up, grabs Robert’s hand and drags him to the spiral staircase. They make it halfway up before they’re kissing again, and this time Robert loses his trousers and pants to the unstoppable force that is Aaron on a mission. He thinks they wind up behind the sofa somewhere. He finds himself sitting bare-arsed on a cold metal step, gripping the bannister for support, one leg over Aaron’s shoulder, getting the blowjob of his life, and five minutes later he’s coming down Aaron’s throat.

“My knees,” says Aaron with a pained expression as he levers himself up.

“My arse,” says Robert. “Oh hey, we’ve finally christened the stairs.”

“Nice.”

..

After a brief interlude to find and collect Robert’s pants from where they’d ended up (on the handles of the scooter, as it turns out), they make it upstairs. Robert finally gets round to removing his socks, puts them conscientiously in the hamper, brushes his teeth, and then flings himself on the bed, gloriously naked, and listens to Aaron pottering around in the bathroom.

“We’re nearly out of toothpaste,” says Aaron, turning off the bathroom light and coming back into the bedroom, yawning as he walks. Aaron crashes harder than Robert does after sex. It doesn’t matter, Robert knows he’s good for it.

(If Aaron’s squeezed the toothpaste from the middle again then Robert’s going to kill him.)

“I take it we’re done with the sexy strangers bit, then?” Robert puts his hands on the headboard and stretches out, enjoying the aches in his muscles. He’s also enjoying being naked, and the fact that Aaron is equally naked, and the fact that central heating means neither of them needs to stop being naked any time soon (which is a distinct improvement over some of their early liaisons). Life, on the whole, is very enjoyable right now.

Aaron snorts, climbs onto the bed and lies down with a sigh. He’s heavy and warm; Robert can feel him radiating heat from inches away. If he closed his eyes, he could draw an outline of Aaron’s body in the bed next to him.

He rolls over to look at Aaron. Aaron’s sleepy but watchful, head propped up on one elbow, looking at Robert. “Do you ever think about what it would have been like if we’d met like that?”

“Might have made life simpler.”

“Just a bit.” Robert lets the thought go; no point dwelling on the past.

“Not your scene though, is it.”

“If you’d been bi, don’t tell me that you’d have been in any rush to come out,” says Robert, defensive. “You’d have dated women, same as I did.”

“Maybe,” says Aaron with a yawn. “Then again, I might have ended up with your sister, and god knows what Adam would have done without her, so probably for the best.” He’s shaved his chest again; it’s all smooth and lovely, pale skin and paler scars scattered across it like silver-pencilled hatchings by an uncertain artist. Robert cups his hand over one of Aaron’s pecs, feels the firm muscle underneath, feels the nipple stiffen against his palm.

“Maybe I’d have had my torrid affair with Adam then,” says Robert, squeezing lightly.

“You fancy Adam?” Aaron’s eyes are bright beneath the half-open lids, like a cat’s.

“I really don’t,” says Robert and he closes the distance between them.

Aaron’s mouth is sweet with peppermint and soft like it seldom is. He lets himself be kissed, strokes one hand softly through the hair at the back of Robert’s head. “You still looking to get fucked?”

“Always,” says Robert, kissing Aaron’s neck. This is true, but it isn’t about preference; it would be equally true to say that Robert always wants to fuck Aaron, or suck him, or be sucked off by him. When it comes to Aaron, Robert’s want is limitless. 

“Alright then.”

Robert flings one leg over Aaron and scoots closer while Aaron’s groping round on the bedside table for the lube. He likes this position a lot - pressed up against Aaron, with a good view of his entire body and free to touch as much as he likes, plus it’s handy for getting his arse played with.

The first time Robert had offered to turn over for Aaron, back in their fucking-in-barns days, it had been obvious that Aaron was surprised. Aaron doesn’t talk much about his sexual experiences pre-Robert but Robert’s got the impression that Aaron had something of a hang-up about bottoming in the beginning.

(If that’s true, he’s gotten over it. A man who’ll threaten Robert with divorce if Robert doesn’t get his cock in him fast enough is not a man with any inhibitions on that score.)

The truth is, getting fucked feels good and Robert doesn’t like to deny himself. Once you’ve managed to convince yourself that you can be straight and get off with a man, the details don’t really matter. He’d like to take credit for a degree of self-awareness there but he was compartmentalising just as much as Aaron, just with feelings rather than sex acts. Neither of them’s ever going to be a poster child for the LGBT community; Robert couldn’t even be arsed to join Finn’s book club.

Aaron pulls Robert’s leg up higher, shifting him about until he’s where Aaron wants him. His leg is across Aaron’s lap, just below his cock and balls. They’re sweaty already where they’re touching; they’re going to be filthy by the time they’re done. Robert feels wired, like he could run a marathon or make a deal or propose to Aaron all over again.

“Did you pick up the dry-cleaning?” asks Aaron as he pushes one lube-slicked finger inside Robert.

For fuck’s sake. Robert raises himself up on one elbow to glare at his husband. “Seriously? You’re asking me that right now?”

Aaron doesn’t even have the grace to look embarrassed. “Well, did you or didn’t you? You’re the one who wants us to wear suits tomorrow.”

“Aaron, I love you, but if you don’t shut up and get on with it we’re getting a divorce.”

“You could just have said no,” says Aaron, finally moving his finger. “Christ, you’re narky when you’re waiting to get fucked.”

Robert pokes him in the side before settling back down. This is what he has to put up with.

Aaron makes it up to him after that, kissing his face and telling him how good he looks. He’s got lovely thick fingers and knows how to use them, working Robert open until he’s hard and aching, practically riding Aaron’s thigh. With his free hand Aaron strokes back Robert’s hair, strokes down his back, squeezes and kneads his arse, pulls up his leg to get better access to his arsehole.

Robert lets him. He’s had a busy day, he’s allowed to be lazy now. He rolls with every movement of Aaron’s hands, riding the sensations, and idly plays with Aaron’s balls. It’s never done anything for him but Aaron loves it, gets all red-faced and breathy.

Robert finally cracks when Aaron’s got four fingers up inside him. “Enough.”

“You sure?” says Aaron, twisting his hand. “Because I can do this all night, me. I’m in no rush.”

“You’re practically fisting me, I’m sure.” They’ve only done that once before, on that weekend in Manchester when they’d barely left the hotel room. Robert had come so hard he’d cried and then they’d both panicked when they thought Aaron’s hand was stuck. Recently Aaron’s been angling for a repeat performance. Robert’s tempted, but right now there’s something else he wants more.

Robert pushes at Aaron until he pulls his fingers out, then rolls over onto his stomach and gets his knees up under him. Legs spread wide, pillow clenched beneath his head, toes curling in anticipation; there’s no room for shame here, not when his body is filled to overflowing with want and need.

The bed creaks behind him.

“Aaron-”

“Yeah,” says Aaron, husky, the flippancy finally gone from his voice. He strokes Robert’s arse, spreads his cheeks wide for a look, then grips one hip and thrusts in in one slow, heart-stopping movement. He bottoms out and stays there. They’re both breathing hard. Robert feels so full.

“Alright?” says Aaron. He doesn’t need to ask - he knows Robert too well for that - but he likes to hear Robert’s voice.

“Outstanding,” says Robert. He turns his head to one side. From this angle he can see most of Aaron’s face. “You feel so good.”

“Fast or slow?” Aaron’s hips shift as he talks. It’s torture.

“You’re driving.”

“I give it five minutes before you’re telling me what to do.”

“Better make the most of it then,” says Robert, and he flexes around Aaron in warning.

Aaron lets out a shaky breath. He strokes up Robert’s side, pushes one hand up the nape of Robert’s neck and holds him down. Between the hand on his neck and the one on his hip Robert feels pinned down and strung out.

“Aaron,” he says, desperate. “Fucking move, will you?”

A tightening of the fingers on his hip is Robert’s only warning before Aaron pulls almost all the way out and thrusts back in, hard, then does it again. Robert closes his eyes and lets himself be fucked through the (expensive, pocket-sprung) mattress.

It’s a revelation every time; Aaron’s cock in him is the truest thing Robert’s ever known. It turns him inside out, lights up his nerves until it feels like he’s never been anywhere else other than here, in this moment, under Aaron. Aaron moves with him and in him and on him until Robert’s forgotten his own name, and he’s about to come when Aaron pauses.

“No, no, no, don’t you dare stop,” says Robert, pushing back. “I was this close-”

“Can you come up?” says Aaron, pulling at Robert’s waist. “I want you up.”

Robert lets himself be man-handled into position until he’s seated on Aaron’s lap, Aaron’s cock deep inside him.

“I wanted to see you,” says Aaron, kissing him deeply, messy and frantic, his hands on Robert’s face.

“Love you too,” says Robert. “Am I driving now, then?”

“If you like.”

Robert does, he really does. He lifts up and drives down, giving himself over to it, going harder than Aaron will ever dare, and he comes untouched and shaking with Aaron’s arms around him. Then Aaron pushes him back down onto the bed and fucks into him a few more times until finally coming, by which point it’s a good thing Robert’s lying down because his knees have turned to jelly.

Afterwards, Robert lies there letting his bones re-solidify and lets Aaron clean them both up.

“Alright?” says Aaron as he gets into bed and turns out the light.

“Mm.” Robert catches Aaron’s hand and squeezes it. He’d like to cuddle but Aaron’ll be too warm now, so he has to settle for holding hands. That’s OK, Aaron has nice hands.

“I would have, you know,” says Aaron in the darkness. “If I’d seen you in a club or whatever. I’d have chatted you up.”

“Obviously.”

“I mean, I’d have regretted it once I’d spoken to you,” says Aaron, dropping his hand, “but-”

Robert rolls closer, grabs Aaron’s hand and wraps himself round Aaron regardless of his protests. “I’d have hit on you too. Not even just in a club - any way we met, I’d have wanted you.”

“Mm,” says Aaron, mollified.

Robert snuggles him closer.

“I’m too warm.”

“Deal with it.”

..

Robert wakes to sunlight streaming through the open curtains.

“So, you are alive then,” says Aaron. He’s sitting up in bed beside Robert with wet hair and his ‘World’s Best Husband’ mug in his hand.

Robert lets himself have a huge, bone-cracking stretch before dragging himself upright. “Did you make me one?”

“No.”

“Shame,” he says, and steals the mug from Aaron’s hand for a swig. It’s sweet, milky tea, still warm. It does the job.

Aaron kisses Robert’s temple as he takes the mug back. “Morning.”

“Morning. What time’s it?”

Aaron picks up his phone from the bedside table. “Just gone ten.” He starts tapping.

Robert watches him sleepily.

“Alex,” says Aaron by way of explanation.

“He’s a twat,” says Robert, yawning.

“Yeah, but he’s a mate, so.” Then, without looking up: “You know you don’t need to be jealous, right?”

“I’m not-”

“Yeah, you are,” says Aaron, but there’s no sting to it. He passes Robert his mug.

Robert drinks the last of the tea before answering. It’s a dirty trick, having this conversation when Robert’s just woken up and his mouth is unguarded; Aaron’s sneaky like that. “He’s seen a side of you that I haven’t. I’m jealous of him for knowing you back then.”

“You might not have liked me back then,” says Aaron. “Is this going to be a problem?”

“Not if you make me tea.”

“I’m serious.” Aaron’s put down his phone now. His eyes are so blue. “I need you to be honest with me about how you feel.”

Sometimes Robert regrets paying all that money for counselling. “Hungry,” he says. “Sleepy. Annoyed. Gagging for a brew.” He thinks about it some more. “Like I want to wave your wedding ring in his stupid twattish face. Horny.”

Aaron raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“We’re in bed and you’ve got your top off, of course I’m horny.”

A grin breaks across Aaron’s face, and it’s the best thing Robert’s ever done. He shuffles closer and bends down for a sweet, tea-flavoured kiss and Robert thinks he’s about to get lucky when his phone beeps.

It’s from Bernice.

_Crisis!!! Have broken down just outside Connelton. Three crates of champagne in the boot and an ice swan melting in the passenger seat. Send help!!_

“Why’s she got an ice swan?” asks Aaron, reading over Robert’s shoulder.

“God knows. Something for Nicola’s party, I guess.” Robert scrubs a hand through his hair. “Suppose I’d better go.”

“Nah, you’re alright,” says Aaron, giving him a quick kiss on the side of his head and getting out of bed. “I’m already up. You stay here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Bernice can take my car, I’ll drive hers back when I’ve fixed it. I’ll give you a call if I need a hand.”

Robert sits there and watches Aaron get dressed, throwing on yesterday’s jeans and a clean t-shirt. He doesn’t think he could ever get tired of this sight.

“Some days I’m really glad I married you,” he says as Aaron’s halfway out the door.

“Love you too,” says Aaron over his shoulder before jogging downstairs.


End file.
